VW offers simpler and more affordable three-door GTI

New Golf GTI Original available to order

VW offers simpler and more affordable three-door GTI

New Golf GTI Original available to order

01 Nov 2017Alex Rae

After skipping a generation, the three-door Volkswagen Golf GTI is back with bare bones specification and a price tag to match.

The German brand has followed up on the release of its range-topping GTI Performance Edition 1 with the no frills three-door GTI Original, which becomes a hot hatch bargain with a sticker price of $37,490 (plus on-road costs) - which is $4000 cheaper than the regular five-door and $10k more affordable than the GTI Performance Edition 1.

Available for order at dealerships this week, the most affordable Golf GTI variant arrives in showrooms from January next year and only comes with a limited amount of kit that shouldn’t bother enthusiasts.

Available in red or white paint only, the three-door gets an ‘Original’ badge on the back, black 18-inch Sevilla alloy wheels with red pinstripe, sports suspension, five different driving modes, AEB with pedestrian monitoring, reversing camera, parking sensors, LED headlights and LED fog lights.

Under the bonnet, the GTI Original gets the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine as the five-door and is available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It produces 169kW of power at 6200rpm and 350Nm of torque at 4600rpm to the front wheels.

VW Golf GTI Original Photo: Supplied

Although no frills, Volkswagen Australia general manager of marketing and product, Ben Wilks, says it's a GTI for purists.

"The Golf GTI is one of the few mass-produced cars that can accurately be called ‘iconic,” he said.

“The GTI was the original hot hatch and the GTI Original embodies its spirit.”

The Golf GTI Original is priced from $37,490 for the six-speed manual and $39,990 for DSG models.